Shaded Paths
by haytherebaybeeee
Summary: The Battousai and a young dojo master meet when the former collapses in front of her dojo, and soon he will have to fight more than just himself to save the young woman he has come to love. Rated for language and mature themes.
1. Chapter One

The impossible has happened!

I have finally stopped sitting on my butt reading other people's work and makin' my own (to disgrace the whole world of fanfics). Heh. Buuut I'm doing it anyways.

Disclaimer: Although I have these superduper dolls of the whole Kenshingumi, I don't own any of 'em. Watsuki has that privelige. But I still gots the guts to write a little OOC'ness.

* * *

Chapter One: Wind

"Crap."

With a sigh of frustration, the raven-haired, blue eyed woman put away her training sword to look outside. The sky was azure with the occasional lone white cloud. It was a beautiful day…and yet, Kamiya Kaoru felt nothing but irritation. What right did the stupid sun have of shining? Or the annoying birds to chirp in that increasingly irritating way? NOTHING, Kaoru thought angrily. It just wasn't RIGHT.

…Then again, what was these days? In the middle of the Bakamatsu, with war raging and blood creating rivers with tears for the fallen…these were times of sadness, not shining suns or chirping birds or puffy white clouds.

That wasn't the reason Kaoru was angry, though. It was more the fact that there was some sort of emptiness inside of her. Loneliness, maybe? She didn't think so; Dr. Gensai came to visit for her routine patch-ups, and she went out with Tae and Megumi quite a lot. Besides that, there were always Sanosuke and his little freeloading sprees, and her occasional students. But there was still something missing. When consulting her two woman friends, they both looked at each other with little smiles on their faces and clucks on their tongues. It was Tae who answered it.

"Ah, you need a man, Kaoru."

Thinking of it now, Kaoru scoffed. Since when did SHE need one of those testosterone filled idiots? She was perfectly capable of handling this by herself, the same way she always did, without any man. She needed no man. She didn't have heartache; it was simply her time of the month, that was all. And yet when the warm breeze blew, ruffling her ponytail, she sighed.

Turning around, she went back into the dojo to practice.

* * *

"You-you are-you can't be…"

The man trailed off, staring horrified into amber eyes.

"No, you can't kill me…I've got a family…and a little girl, I need to live, please spare me, please, oh you can't kill me, you can't do th-" His frantic pleas were cut short with a flurry of movement from the shorter man. His head fell with a splat onto the floor, and his body soon followed. The other man's job was done; they were dead. The assignment had been carried out without flaw, as his superior knew it would be.

Wiping blood from his brow, the amber-eyed swordsman still clutched his katana. His flaming crimson hair was held up in a high ponytail that mirrored his every swift movement. As his hand touched his face, he felt the scar he had seen so many times: a still raising cross. Looking up at the sky, the man's lips moved.

"Damn."

He turned away from the bloody corpse, and looked down.

"Damn. Damn. DAMN. DAMN!" What had started out as a barely audible whisper turned into a scream to the heavens. "WHY WOULD THIS HAPPEN? WHO WOULD LET THIS HAPPEN?"

The gods turned away from his raging question. They did not want this. They did not want to hear of anger and sadness and pain. They did not listen.

But the Devil listened, and he smiled.

Stopping his outburst, Kenshin stayed that way for seconds, minutes, hours. He did not pay notice. Finally, he turned and left for the Ishin Shishi headquarters. This was one of the few lapses in the ice cold demeanor of the Battousai. No one asked of his past that made him so, and he did not offer any explaination. Indeed, it seemed a good thing; Himura Kenshin, since his sudden leaving of the life of a shadow assassin, seemed to let go of human emotions and became a drone, concentrating soley on the task at hand. It was a blessing, said his comrades. A gift from the gods. None heard his cries. None knew.

As he left, a warm breeze blew and rustled his sleeves. He turned onto the road leading to his destination.

Himura the Battousai and Kamiya Kaoru. Both felt the wind blow past. Neither knew of the events to happen, but the wind knew, and lingered slightly with both persons. For they would never be the same, the fates said so. They were oblivious as they continued with their day, not knowing anything. But then, how could they?


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: Kenshin will never be mine…sniff. It's all Watsuki's stuff. But I will use "poetic justice" to warp them in every possible way...muahahah.

* * *

Chapter Two: Surprise

"You called?" A tall lean man with the eyes of a wolf smirked.

"Apparently," Replied a shorter man, stouter, but with the aura of one who is not to be taken lightly. "Sit down, Hajime."

"Saito will do," Saito said, his voice quiet but precise and deep. "And as for the seat, I decline. I have no intention of sitting down; I'd rather be…alert."

They stayed as they were for a minute, both wearing expressions of friendliness on their faces; but if a more observant man were to look into their eyes he would learn of years of rivalry and hatred. Saito's hand lingered over the katana at his belt, his dark bangs slightly obstructing the eyes which were often the last sight of men. His opposer sat, no fear on his face; it was apparent he had nothing to be afraid of in this man. After all, one could not become Captain of the Shinsengumi with terror lingering in the mind or the sword.

The man smiled. "Nothing less than the 'Wolf of Mibu,' eh?" He snorted and looked over the papers on his desk. "Very well. I called you here for a assignment of sorts…involving the Battousai." If he had bothered looking up, he would have seen the golden eyes glint and thin lips lift slightly in anticipation, as he had known they would.

"When and where should the Battousai meet his demise?" The words were clipped, but the emotion not shown was there.

"You will not be fighting, nor killing, him."

Anger flashed in Saito's eyes. The Captian felt his rage and smiled again.

"Your assignment is rather…to capture him. He knows more of the Inshin Shishi than most of the higher officials – if we could bleed the information out of him, they have no chance. Like stealing the legs from a toddler, they will fall, and fall hard."

The thin lips sneered.

"Fool."

"Hm?" Now the Captain was the one fighting rage. Rage was no good, it dulled the eyes to detail and the brain to thought. Let the 'wolf' speak, let him voice his opinion. Hajime Saito was a clever man, and his thoughts on the matter were valuable.

"The Battousai cannot be captured. Killing is easier than capturing; if we have not yet been able to kill him, there is no doubt that we cannot capture him. And, if by some," Saito's voice became bitingly sarcastic, "_miracle_, we manage to capture him, he would not speak once he awoke to his surroundings, but slaughter our men from the inside of our fortress and escape. Fool."

"I WILL NOT HAVE HIM KILLED, SAITO!" The Captain roared, slamming his fist on the low table.

"Why not? He will be of no use to us, just hinderance. Besides, the bastard has killed some of our best men. Why should we not return the favor?"

"This is what you shall do, Saito, whether you like it or not. You shall challenge the Battousai. You will wound him, and greatly, but you will not kill him. You will capture him and bring him here to the most secure room. We will starve him, and he will talk." The Captain ordered.

Saito snorted. "Fine. Do what you wish, you will learn soon enough how useless your precious strategy is." He spun on his heel and left the room.

The man remained sitting, head bowed. He had a small smile on his face.

"Yes, he will talk."

* * *

The Battousai, hidden in the maze of houses, flinched. He had sensed a strong ki, one not unfamiliar to him. Without looking behind him, he muttered, "Saito."

"Not much of a welcome ceremony, wouldn't you say?" The tall, wolfish man replied. "Really, Battousai, I thought you had more style." He shifted into the stance for the Gatotsu.

"Shut up." Battousai snarled.

Saito's eyes gleamed as he attacked. His katana would miss, he knew. At first.

Battousai easily leaped above the glinting blade. Saito usually wasn't this… simple. Easy to dodge and avoid. Usually wasn't this slow, but for some reason he was right now, and that would just make Battousai's job easier. He would –

The blade sank into his side.

_What is this? _Battousai's mind asked frantically. _WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?_

"SAITO!" He screamed as he plummeted to the ground, blood spurting from the large gaping wound in his chest.

His opponent was laughing maniacally. "So, you finally met the my new attack…the _Void_ Gatotsu. It is not limited to slashing at my level; it can attack anything, anywhere." He sighed. "I would have killed you right now, but…that stupid idiot of a Captian tells me not to. And we must follow orders, right, Battousai?"

The red-haired man lay panting on the ground in a pool of red.

Saito walked over to the crumpled form, smirking. So easy to defeat. He was a bit disappointed, actually. He was hoping for more of a fight so that he could work off some stress. But it was all right. He'd have time for that later, during the…questioning. He bent and threw his adversary over his shoulder, when he noticed something, and gasped.

Battousai's amber eyes narrowed as he rammed the butt of his katana squarely between the tall man's eyes. With a groan, Hajime Saito collapsed. The Battousai stood, and pressing his navy blue gi to his soaking wound, stumbled away.

_Losing blood…_

With a gasp, he fell to the ground in front of a building, dreaming of deep brown eyes, White Plum, and blood.


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I asked for Kenshin for Christmas but I doubt it's happening. So he's still, and will always be, WATSUKI'S. NOOO!

I only got ONE review. But that's okay, 'cause it was the ideal review…ehehe.

**Shadow61x **– heheh. Thanks for the praise. I had borders originally, but they all came off when I uploaded it and I never quite figured out how to get back to the "edit" page. Hm.

* * *

Chapter Three: Finally

"Megumi!" A clear voice, one like a bell, shattered the crystalline silence. Seconds later, Kaoru stumbled into the clinic. Her blue eyes were clouded with worry as she scanned the rows of ill or injured people, looking for Ms. Takani.

She held a young man in her arms, about eighteen. His amber eyes were closed and his gi was soaked with blood that dripped to the clean mat below. His firey red hair was loose and soaked as well, and it had gotten blood all over Kaoru's green kimono. People who saw her looked shocked at the dirty, frightened woman and wondered at her strength to hold the man, although he looked frail. Looking and not finding, she tripped to the other room, she found her friend treating a old lady with a yellow look about her.

"Now, just take these herbs and mix them into your tea every morning and evening. Good day." As the huddling woman shuffled out, she looked up at the flustered, anxious Kaoru. "What is it you want?" Irritation showed in her deep brown eyes until she looked down at the man in her arms. Her lovely eyes widened.

"Megumi, he needs help!" The younger girl gasped.

"I can see that – put him down! Now!" Megumi ordered.

"Will he be okay?"

"Worrying will not make him better. Get me antiseptic, needles, and thread. As well as some warm water." The docter's smooth hands cut away the bloodied garment and never faltered even in the face of such a wound.

"Here!" Kaoru hurried back, holding the items.

"Good." Megumi took them and resumed working.

"Tell the other patients that they'll have to go home. I scanned them earlier and no one had anything that can't wait."

"Okay." Kaoru did as said and came back soon.

For the next half hour or so there was silence as she operated and Kaoru watched, scared. Finally Megumi spoke.  
"What happened?"

"Well, I met him – that is, found him – outside the dojo as he is now, only a little while ago. I have no idea who he is, or what might have happened…"

"I see." Silence resumed for an hour longer.

"It's a sword wound." Kaoru whispered.

"What?" Megumi asked.

"It's a sword's wound. A strong man did this, I think from the Shinsengumi." She lowered her head. "My father had told me of the techniques of the warriors he fought, in his letters. One or two had a technique that would make a cut like this…the Hirazuki, I think it was. But this…this seems…much cleaner and deadlier than what he described." Kaoru's voice was calmer, and she seemed more in her element in the world of swordplay than in the atmosphere of medicine.

"No wonder. This is a horrifying wound."

"And it looks like it could have been much worse, if it had connected in a different place. It could have decaptitated him."

Silence. Megumi worked tirelessly, and Kaoru stayed by, wiping sweat from the beautiful docters brow and keeping the flame going. After a couple of hours, the young woman fell asleep.

At dawn, the last thread was stitched into the man. With a sigh of relief, Megumi woke Kaoru.

"Will he be okay?"

"If he has any fight in him, he'll live." Megumi smiled. "I can't keep him here, and he can be moved if you move him gently. And slowly."

"Thank you…" Kaoru sighed. "I'll take him to the dojo. Is there any sort of special treatment?"

"No. If you let him rest and keep him hydrated, then he'll wake up in no time. I'm going to go to bed now. Take him home, alright?"

"Thanks, I'll do that."

Megumi walked towards her rooms, then halted. Not turning, she said,

"You watch out, Kaoru. Who knows what kind of man he is when awake."

"I know." The young woman looked down at the redhead and brushed a crimson lock away from his face.

"I know…"

* * *

It had been five days since Kamiya Kaoru had discovered The Swordsman in front of her small dojo. Five days she had taken careful care of him, with Megumi dropping in occasionally to check on the patient. And still he had not waken. 

Every day she sat by his side, watching him. His eyes were shut.

"I wonder what kind of eyes he has?" She speculated to herself. This occupied her mind for many nights as she cared for him. Would they be brown? Blue, like her own? Maybe a rare color, like green, or even red like his hair. She thought of it often, but never decided on what it would probably be. The Swordsman could have any eye color. And any personality.

_"You watch out, Kaoru. Who knows what kind of man he is when awake."_

She sighed inwardly. Megumi was right. He may be a criminal, or a fugitive, or a rapist. Or The Swordsman could even be a murderer.

That was what she had taken to calling him in her mind, ever since noticing the katana strapped to his gi. She had taken it out of it's sheath, gasping as she observed the smooth metal sliding from the metal sheath. But when she had pulled it completely out, she noticed the dried, flaking blood, marring half the beautiful steel with it's dull color. It was a work of art, this sword, and it made Kaoru sick to look at the death upon it. She could not leave it so.

She had quietly cleaned the weapon, and replaced it in it's scabbard. It seemed like it was a private part of the swordsman, something that she had no right to touch, even to clean the slaughter off of it.

The man with such a sword was no doubt a murderer.

But…

As she looked down at him, she felt that this man was not evil. No, he was a good man. Maybe misguided, but good. He was probably a warrior. Maybe he had even fought alongside her father.

Or even against him.

She pushed away the thought. No. Her father did not fight this man. Father had died bravely, in battle, the way he had told Kaoru that he had wanted to die. He had lived the life of a warrior, and died right. This man didn't even know her father.

She ran her fingers over the well-cut, almost feminine features of his calm expression. His nose was delicate, not big or bony. His lips were soft. His skin was tanned, but smooth and unmarred but for the scar on his cheek.

Like the sword, the scar had hidden meaning. It had an aura of despair and death and the sadness of love. The one who would look upon it would remember the death of a loved one, or a hope unforfilled, or eternal resignation to a fate worse than death.

Kaoru thought of her mother. She was but seven when she had died. She remembered the whiteness of her father's face, the whispered words, the silent tears coursing down his face. She remembered not believing her father, throwing away his hand, running to her bedside, urging her mother to wake up, to hug her, to open her eyes. She remembered every detail of her mother's white yukata, the peace on her face and resting on her eyelids and soft eyelashes, her pale, pink lips, her smooth raven hair. She remembered seeing no pain on her face from the disease that had haunted her for as long as she had known, but beauty, beauty she had never really had before in life. Beauty of death, like the cherry blossoms that fell on the day she had died.

Whenever she saw the scar, she remembered, and felt like dissolving into tears at the memory.

On the fifth day, Kaoru walked into the room and sat down, like other days, right after training in the morning, taking her bath, and changing. She saw the man she saw every day, and reached her hand up once again, to caress The Swordsman's face.

But a hand reached up with lightning fast speed and grabbed her slim wrist with enough force to break it. She cried out with pain and shock and writhed to get loose of the vise-like grip. The face she had seen, so calm before, was now twisted with an unfathomable expression. He sat up, still holding her just as tightly, and his narrowed eyes looked down at her with…rage? No, that wasn't it…was it?

She studied him with squinting eyes, pain still wrapped around her. His hair was shining slightly, and his scar stood out on his face.

And his eyes were amber.


	4. Chapter Four

Weelll, got some more reviews. I was so HAPPY. Someone READ my fanfics! YAY! Hahah. And I got some nice advice that addressed stuff I had overlooked.

**WhiteRabbit5 **– Thank you so much for letting me know…I guess I was trying to prove my maturity when I wrote the multiple 'fucks.' I was trying to express his anger, but that could be expressed just as well with other words. SORRY IF I OFFENDED ANYONE! Well, I'd been reading other works and it really bugged me how they put so much AU and OOC'ness in their stories that the only thing the characters had in common were the names. I'm glad that you liked my slight distortion. I'm looking forward to reading your stories.

**Triste1 **– Hm. I do need work on my grammar…and I've been forgetting to use spellcheck which is, I guess, inexcusable…I'll work on it and hopefully improve. And I am looking forward to writing some nice yelling and fighting between Kaoru and Kenshin. That's the fun part, after all; I hope I can write it right! And I've been lengthening my chapters (I hope; though it's probably really quick to read.)

**Shadow61x **– Thanks!!! I love writing this one. It's fun. AND I CAN MAKE THEM ACT JUST LIKE I WANT THEM TOO! MUAHAHAH! (cough) And the lines make such a biiig difference. Not all mixed together anymore.

**Flaming-amber **– YEP! And it's hopefully going to keep rollin' for a while.

I feel so inspired.

Disclaimer: You want the truth? YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH! At least I can't anyway…Kenshin will never be yours. Nor mine. How depressing.

* * *

Chapter Four: Conflict

_Where am I?_

Battousai thought, eyes still closed. _What happened? I remember…swords, blood – and Saito! Am I in enemy territory?_

_No, I can't be. There is fighter's ki, but nothing malicious. There is no hunger for blood. But there is someone here…and only one._

A soft finger touched his cheek, caressing his scar.

_TOMOE?_

His eyes snapped open and his fingers shot up to catch the wrist of the hand._No…not Tomoe…it could not be her. She is gone._

Amber eyes searched frantically the face beside him.

_It's a girl. Maybe seventeen. Her eyes are blue, and clear but deeper than the untrained eye could notice. So deep I could drown in them. Her lips are pink and her hair is long. It is like night flowing down her back; it does not shine, but draws in light and absorbs it. Her face is twisted in pain – and her eyes, clouded with rage…_

"Let go of me!" The girl screeched angrily. "LET GO!"

_She is high-strung and energetic._

His grip loosened, and she twisted away.

_Nothing like Tomoe._

"You…idiot!" She growled, and gave him a vicious slap.

_She hit me…she doesn't know who I am, does she? _

_We should educate her._

_No…Tomoe…I cannot kill her. No. _

_When did I say 'kill'?_

"You whelp," Battousai breathed. "Your life is forfeit with one raise of the hand. Do you know who I am?"

"I don't give a _damn _who you are. You're in _my_ dojo. If it weren't for _me,_ you would be lying in a pool of your own blood, already well on your way to Kami right now.I've been keeping care of you for nearly a whole week, and no matter _who _you thought you were out there, you're in _here,_ and you're _staying _in here until I say." She was leaned close to his face, pronouncing every couple words with a special distinction. Both of them were practically shaking with rage. "So SHUT UP. All right? You're hurt pretty badly and I doubt you'll be able to leave for the next couple of weeks. So PUT UP WITH IT."

She rose from the mat with an air of pride, and even though the kimono she wore was old and tattered, even though she had no jewelry of any kind, the Battousai felt himself in slight awe at the young woman standing in front of him.

"By the way, _sir_," She said, hand on the sliding door, "My name is Kamiya. Kaoru Kamiya. Not 'whelp.'" She opened the door and slid the door closed, leaving her sarcastic tone floating in the air.

_No, nothing like Tomoe._

A faint smile played across Battousai's handsome features.

_But beautiful, nonetheless._

* * *

Kaoru strode across the dojo, breathing heavily, irritation obvious in her expression.

_I can't believe that…that…jerk._

In her own dojo! Lying in HER rooms! And still with that stupid 'whelp'!

She was beginning to regret ever letting him stay with her in the first place. But now that he was here, she couldn't let him go. He would probably get infected, or something like that. Damned compassion.

And he had grabbed her wrist – hard, too! She looked down at her already red skin and winced. If he had been so strong when in this condition, what would he be at full health? He must have fought in the war; he must have been an asset for whichever side he had fought on..

Kaoru was still not very experienced at reading the _ki_ of her opponents, but she could still feel this man's spirit like a broken arm; sharp and unrelenting. She could still feel his essence pounding in her head. He was a skilled swordsman, master of all that he had learned. He was probably legendary. A part of her yearned to see him fight.

But – that didn't matter! What did matter was that he was injured and she would keep him in custody until he was okay.

_I'm not going to have Megumi yell at me 'cause of him._

She made straight for the large room where the students practiced, and leaned against the sturdy walls, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply the rich scent of pine.

_Father…_

As memories flooded over her, she breathed deeply, letting the frustration that had pent up inside ease out of her body with every exhale.

_Father…_

_The Swordsman…he was handsome. His eyes were piercing, and unlike anything I had imagined. They suited him._

_Ugh. I'm delirious._

With a sigh, she straightened herself and stretched her limbs to hear a horrible growling noise. With a groan of disgust, she realized she was hungry.

_Even I don't like my food. But it's better than starving, and anyway, it's not that bad._

Her stomach shriveled further inside her chest. Time to cook.

"Hooray," she muttered.

The Swordsman was in for a treat.

* * *

A/N – By the way, Kenshin is NOT MEAN. I repeat: THIS IS NOT LIKE THOSE OTHER FANFICS WHERE HE IS RUTHLESS AND CRUEL. This is supposed to be after Tomoe, and therefore when Kenshin is well on the road to becoming the sweet and lovable Himura we all know and love. Just in case you were confused. Please R and R. 


	5. Chapter Five

Ah! Scooore!

SORRY FOR BEING LATE !

I GOT TEN REVIEWS! WOOT! Keep in mind, that's a lot to me. Heh.

I'm not going to answer the reviews in this chapter…I want to get on with the writing. My little 'inspirational moments' are prone to disappearing before you can say 'mechimoo.'

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin is mine only in my dreams.

* * *

Chapter Five – Et Cetera

"Are you ready to eat yet?"

The Swordsman raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Kaoru sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, alright? For yelling at you. I know you're still weak and that I –"

"I held on to you pretty well, I'd say, Ms. Kamiya."

Kaoru's face burned. _That rude, stupid little... _"I apologized, okay? So shut up or you'll never stand up again!"

The Swordsman smiled rather stiffly. "Excuse me, Ms. Kamiya. I apologize."

"Look. Just answer the damn question. Are you ready to eat yet? Or are you still too injured?"

"I can eat, thank you." He answered politely. "I haven't thanked you for getting me medical help yet, nor for letting me stay here, Ms. Kamiya."

Her blue eyes widened. "That's all right. I would've done it for anyone. By the way, call me Kaoru. Ms. Kamiya makes me feel old."

"Okay, Kaoru." The Swordsman smiled once again, and once again, there was no warmth in it. There wasn't even coldness in it. It was an emotionless smile, with no use but for politeness.

"By the way, what's your name? I've been calling you 'The Swordsman' in my mind for a while now, and honestly, I'm getting tired of it." It was an innocent question, but as it was said, The Swordsman seemed to freeze even more and raise another barrier between himself and Kaoru. There was a pause as he seemed to consider telling her.

_He's pulling away, and burrowing even deeper into his little fortress. _Kaoru thought bitterly.

"My name is…Kenshin. Himura Kenshin." Kenshin said quietly.

Kaoru smiled. "All right. I'll get you some food, Kenshin."

_I was wrong – his eye's aren't amber. They're sort of blue, but…deeper and metallic._

As she turned to leave, she felt slightly relieved that the gold hue had disappeared.

* * *

Kenshin sat quietly in the small room and pondered.  
_I need to get out of here._

He sighed and picked at the edge of the blanket covering him. _Knowing Saito, he won't stay low for long. Ms. Kamiya – no, Kaoru – will be in danger. And the last thing I need is for more people to die. _

_Like Tomoe. _

He sighed softly, willing the memories away, and at the same time wishing they would never leave him.

**Forget her.**

_I can't. _

**You won't, is what you mean.**

_Maybe. I don't know._

**You don't know anything now, do you? Nothing. It's because you're weak. You've become weak so that you can't think. Ever since she came, you've been this way. Ever since she died, you've been this way.**

_...she was my strength._

**Lies.**

_She was my sheath._

**A sword like ours should never be in a sheath. It should be eternally free to capture the lives of our enemies, to kill and cause a…what was it? A 'rain of blood to fall?'**

_Shut up._

**She knew we would kill her. She knew it, every moment. Every time she looked into our eyes, she saw her killer. She was a sheath for a sword that would betray her, rip into her flesh, cause her blood to fall on clean white snow.**

_SHUT UP!_

**You don't even have the strength to fight yourself, do you? I am you. We are one. You can't destroy me – I will always be here. You will never be at peace, unless killing with that katana of yours.**

_I can't be at piece when causing the blood of innocents to stain the ground._

**Then you will always be lost.**

_I was not lost. With Tomoe, I was home…_

**That's right, isn't it? You had her. She was your anchor in the storm, wasn't she? Well, that anchor is lost. You will be lost. Your soul means nothing.**

_No. My soul means something._

**Your soul is dead and your heart is black. You killed the one you loved. You have nothing.**

_I have my promise._

**It is fragile, ready to snap…Let us pick up the sword once again. Let me feel death, taste fresh blood on my sword.**

_For Tomoe…I will never kill again._

**…liar. We will kill the girl once we are strong, and rejoin the war. **

_I won't kill Kaoru._

**She looks a little like Tomoe, doesn't she?**

* * *

Kaoru slid open the door, holding a steaming tray of food. "Food's ready, Ken-"

"Kenshin!" She cried, setting the tray down quickly and running to the red-headed man's side. He was slumped over off the bed and blood was trickling down his mouth.

"What happened?" she asked, worried.

"I…punched myself."

"WHAT?"

"I was getting a little delirious," he muttered. "I'm okay."

"You idiot! Don't know where you got the idea that you'd get better by hurting yourself…well, as long as you're okay, you can eat the food I've made for you. And no more stunts like this, okay?"

"Alright."

"And, by the way, while you're here you might as well talk to me like I'm more than a passing shadow. I'd rather you'd open up a bit, if you're okay with that." This was said gently, not angrily, with concern. _Her eyes are calming, like the sky…_

"Gomen. I'll try to be more 'open' if it pleases you," Kenshin said, smiling, for once, a real smile as he noted once again her beauty.

Smiling in reply, she left, murmering something about letting him have a bit of privacy as a blush appeared on her pretty face.

The smile stayed on his face for a little while as he began to eat. The food was, overall, pretty bad – the rice was burnt, the fish lacked flavor, the tofu was melted, the soy sauce was runny, but the miso soup was delicious. With some difficulty, he finished the meal, and lay down again to his thoughts.

**Are you becoming attached to this girl?**

_Don't be stupid._

**You are fond of her.**

Kenshin smiled again, thinking, _Yes. Yes, I am._

The smile disappeared as fleetingly as it appeared. **Does she not look like Tomoe?** Battousai laughed.

_Tomoe, Tomoe, Tomoe…_

Thoughts of a raven-haired young woman, bloody with a sword through her – who's sword, you ask?

**Tomoe, Tomoe, Tomoe…**

_Tomoe…I'm going insane._

A small, mirthless laugh escaped his lips. Yes, he was going insane.

_Injured in a one-man fist fight, ha-ha. Two men in me, who knows which one I am now? I'm insane, Tomoe, insane, without you…_

**Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha…**

Kenshin was laughing harder now, loudly and wildly, hunched over as the laughs escaped him like hacking coughs.

**Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha…**

The laughter died slowly, and he shook silently, tears running down his face and hanging from his chin, racking his thin frame.

**Tomoe…I'm dead now, Tomoe…**

**Without you I am nothing…**

Tears flowing like a river.

_I am dead._


	6. Chapter Six

Sorry about taking so long…UGH! I am having a string of bad luck. Guess what I got for Christmas?  
Chicken Pox. The mere mention of those dastardly things makes me shiver. Then Itch. Then shiver again.  
**  
shadow61x: **Heheh…glad you're still reading! I hope it's getting better, I've put enough time into it…

**iLuvJaeWon: **Yeah, Battousai is hot, huh? Especially in the manga. But that's probably just my little girl dreaming, although the high ponytail is best all the way. And the whole amber-eye thing. But I never really thought he'd be cruel.

**JaneDrew: **Yeah, I'll have to make him help with the cooking at least a little…after all, I wouldn't want to kill of any main characters…heh heh.

**Birdy06:** Well, keep reading and see if you like it! Hope you enjoy the later chapters.

**Anonymous miss: **…uh…oops.

**WhiteRabbit5: **Yeah, I know what you mean. I always thought that the way they separated the two was sort of silly, you know, although it makes sense in a way. But if it means mental torture, anything goes!  
**racoongirl: **The poor guy…MUAHAHAHAHA! Yeah, I feel sorry for him too. But it's just so _fun!_

**Kenshinlover2002: **A little strategetic insanity on my part. I am a HUGE KenKao fan, and it annoys me when they make it seem like he loved her only as much as he loved Tomoe. I mean, what happens when they both die and he has to choose? I wanted it to start out with him loving Tomoe so much, and her reminding him of Tomoe, so that it would mean so much more when she really became the Kaoru that he loves.

Oh, yeah, the story. I forgot. Thanks to the people that replied – You are my inspiration. But that may be a bad thing.

Disclaimer: No, he _still _doesn't belong to me. Don't gloat.

* * *

Chapter Six - Getting to Know You

"Nuts…"  
Kaoru sighed as she remembered Kenshin's face, his bright smile. She wouldn't deny that he was handsome…no, she would admit that without hesitation. Kaoru wasn't a liar. Though she loved her own raven locks, she couldn't help but look at his red mane with a twinge of jealousy. And his eyes…they were captivating.  
_Its not so much that he's handsome...it's more like…beauty. _Kaoru grinned in spite of herself. _He's a beautiful man…_ She giggled to herself.

Though she found herself admiring Kenshin, she was not infactuated. Of that, she had no doubt. She felt nothing more than companionship when around the injured man, and, admittedly, a little relief that came with finally having a companion. But Megumi and Tae were wrong.

"Kaoru!"

Kaoru snapped out of her daydream with a jump. "Oh, it's you, Megumi. Don't scare me like that!" She turned to the beautiful woman with a small smile. "So how are you?"

"Oh, the clinic is doing well – it's been pretty busy, there has been an outbreak of influenza lately, so take care of yourself – but I'm more worried about you. How are you? And how is that patient of yours doing?" Megumi asked, worried.

Kaoru sighed. "He's been getting better pretty slowly, but I guess that's expected with that wound."

"No, dummy, what's he like?"  
"Oh, _that's_ what you mean. No, he's not dangerous. Well, he is dangerous, but I'm pretty sure he wouldn't hurt me. He's been good-natured nearly all the time." Kaoru didn't want to mention the incident when he had just woken up. Best to not make her worried.

"Oh, that's good," Megumi replied, obviously relieved. She held up a large covered plate. "Well, I brought food…after all, we wouldn't want you to poison the man when he's on the road to recovery!" She let loose her trademark laughter.

"Megumi…" Kaoru growled angrily. She looked ready to murder, but took the food and put it back in her room.

"Oy! Busu!"  
"Hey, Yahiko-_chan_." Kaoru sighed once again, aknowledging the arrival of her student.

"Don't call me chan!" The spikey-haired boy grimaced.

"Well, three's a crowd, I'd best be going now. Good-bye, Kaoru!" Megumi smiled, leaving the gates and starting the walk back to the clinic.

"What's she over here for, anyway? Teaching you cooking? Hah!" Yahiko laughed. He had had the misfortune of tasting Kaoru's food before.

"Shut up, you little idiot. Let's train – and rest assured, I _won't _go easy on you in the least!" Kaoru said, irritated.

"Kaoru?"  
"What?"  
"Don't cry when I beat you."

"Close your mouth – you've got an opening!" She yelled, and leapt at him. She made to aim for the side of his head. Yahiko dodged with a smirk and whipped his shinai around, trying to hit Kaoru's midsection. But she sidestepped behind him, ducked from his vain attempt to hit her head, and dodged to his front to hit him in his stomach.

"There's no room for ego in swordplay," She smiled down at her very concieted, very winded student. "Right, Yahiko-chan?"

"Busu," Yahiko gasped angrily. Kaoru just smiled.

"Okay, let's have a hundred good, strong, swings – you're not tired, are you, Yahiko-chan?" she said with, her words dripping with playful sarcasm.

"Shut up," He panted, hoisting himself off the ground with a menacing look. "Don't flatter yourself…I can take...anything you…throw at me…"

"So show me!" Kaoru ordered, knowing that he would work hard today. Though he could be a really annoying, loud, rude kid, he was her favorite pupil, and she thought of him almost like a little brother.

"Nyyaahh, busu, you'll always be an old maid, you know that?" He stuck his tongue out at her.

A really, really aggravating little brother. Kaoru groaned inwardly. Was she doomed to be ridiculed forever for her relationship-less state?

_Yup._

"Maybe, Yahiko-_chan,_" she said carelessly. "But so will you."

"Hey! Will not!"

"Yes, you will too. That is, unless you start to admit your feelings to Tsubame-chan over at the Akabeko sometime soon."  
"Hey – that – that's not – that's none of your business, busu!" Yahiko said, flustered.  
"And my life is none of yours, Yahiko. So just keep practicing those swings while I do a little of _my_ stuff." She walked into her room and took out Megumi's still warm, delicious food. There was fish, rice, dumplings, steamed vegetables, a cup of noodles, and some ohagi.

_It smells sooo good…_ Kaoru sighed, a little delirious from the scent. _Just one bite._

_No! Bad Kaoru!_

She shook her head a couple times to clear it, and then brought it into the other room for Kenshin. _Lucky little…_

The man was sleeping, as far as she could tell, so she lay down the food next to his bed. She got up to leave, but hesitated as she noted tears on his cheek.

"I wonder…" she murmured, "what makes such a strong man weep?" She gently wiped the tears off of his face, and got up to leave once again. The aura of sadness was so strong…

Suddenly she gasped, alarmed.

"Yahiko! I forgot!" She said to herself, and quickly left the still man.

His blue eyes opened, and gazed thoughtfully into the world only he knew.

_What indeed?_

* * *

**A/N - **Honestly, I'm not that proud of this chapter. I'll try to make up for it in later chapters, though.


	7. Chapter Seven

I update, once again. And I've started that new fanfiction – the whole AU thing with high-school Ken and Kao – so that's taking up time too.

I'll admit, I'm sort of depressed how that fic received more attention than this one. I kinda like this one better, because it has Battousai and mental anguish and all that, and I have very lofty ambitions for this story. And though the other story is a LOT of fun to write, it's so much more clichéd. There's got to be a hundred Kenshin and Kaoru high school dramas out there, and yet in three chapters it gets almost as much reviews as this one did in six.

Oh well. That doesn't matter much anyhow. I won't abandon you!

Disclaimer: Kenshin is Watsuki's, I don't own squat, you've heard the drill.

* * *

Chapter Seven – Watch Your Back

Shadows danced across the walls as a flickering candle lit the room. Rain pounded against the roof and wind screeched, tearing the leaves off of trees ruthlessly.

Inside the small room, Saito Hajime smiled.

"Are you sure?" He asked the man sitting across from him. "Is this his position?"

"Positive," replied the intelligent but gaunt man. "It has been confirmed."

"The Kamiya Dojo…" Saito mused, looking at the ragged map.

"It's a fairly small dojo located in the outskirts of the city. A Kaoru Kamiya teaches the Kamiya Kasshin style to an estimated ten students. She lives – or used to live - alone."

"Thank you for this information. I promise it will not go to waste." Golden eyes gleamed.

"I'm sure it won't. Goodbye, Hajime."

"Farewell, and thank you once again for this, Ryosuke. It is what I have been waiting for." Saito got up after his guest and slid the door shut, then sat down once again, staring at nothing in particular.

"A dojo, eh?" he smirked.

_Battousai…I have found you…and soon you will be but rust on my blade. Fool. I will kill you slowly and destroy the grubby little dojo you hide in. _

_I will not stop until you are dead._

* * *

"I like the rain…but I love the morning after. Everything feels so fresh…like all of the dirt has been washed away."

Kaoru sniffed the air and sighed, turning towards Kenshin. "Don't you?"

Kenshin smiled at her, giving a short, "I suppose so, Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru shrugged. Ever since his wound had healed enough for him to get up and walk around (though not very much or very well), he had insisted in sitting outside.

_I guess he likes the weather. _Kaoru turned away, studying the laundry she was currently engaged with. _He's a thinking man, that's for sure._

"Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said softly.

"Huh?" Kaoru looked up at him once more.

"Do you want me to start making the dinner?" Kenshin asked.

"In a sling?" she asked skeptically.

"I'm passable." He answered with a small smile.

"Okay then." _Even after a week, he still hasn't trusted me enough to open up, or even talk to me in an actual conversation. And he still insists on that stupid "Miss Kaoru."_

_He's too damn polite. _

"Kenshin." Kaoru said, firmly. _Time to nip this in the bud._

"Yes, Kaoru-dono?" The honorarium following her name caused her to cringe.

"…Do you trust me?"

There was a pause.

* * *

Kenshin blinked, inadvertently hardening within himself as he looked at the young woman before him.

_"…Do you trust me?"_

Trust was no longer something he believed in. He had betrayed and been betrayed by so many that he never really thought of trusting anyone anymore. Nothing good came out of trust. He had trusted his parents, and they died of cholera soon after selling him to a slave trader. He had trusted his wife, and she was part of a plot to murder him.

Tomoe had trusted him, and he had murdered her.

He looked into Kaoru's eyes. They were clear and blue and in looking in them, he knew that she wanted to trust him, and that she could if he returned the favor. It was true that she had been one of the only ones – in fact, _the _only one to help him since he had left Kyoto. She had taken care of him when he was injured, kept him in her house, and had done countless little things that he would have thought no one would bother to do for him. _Damn it, _Kenshin thought, frustrated. _Can't I trust even this one woman? Can't I let her trust me? Can't I give her that much?_

But…

…_I don't – I can't – trust, and I doubt I ever will._

* * *

Kaoru watched Kenshin's face as he struggled to come up with an answer. His brow furrowed and he studied her eyes at the same time.

His eyes were what did it.

She let out the breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding and looked away. "I see." She paused, looking for the words to say and finding nothing. "Well…" she trailed off. _Damn it. _

"I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin seemed to hesitate, but murmured, "I'll go make the miso," and left, the sound of his footsteps fading as he walked away.

She looked up at the sky, slightly forlorn, and whispered, "It's going to rain again."

* * *

"Kaoru-chan!" Tae squealed with open arms while beckoning the young woman to her restaurant, the Akabeko.

"Tae!" Kaoru smiled warmly. She had been in the vicinity looking at the many exotic and beautiful kimonos. It was something she did every once and a while, and although with her meager income she could never afford such luxuries, it made her feel a bit majestic to finger the silken fabric and imagine herself in such grandeur. It lifted her spirits slightly but it made her feel sad as well, and saddened at her choice of life: decrepit clothes, barely enough food on the table, a reputation at being a 'masculine' and 'barely feminine' little girl…

She decided then to go to visit her friend in hopes of lifting her spirits; Tae was always good to talk to as long as she avoided the more embarrassing topics.

"So, what's this I hear about a mysterious and handsome young man staying at the dojo, hm?" Tae asked her excitedly after sitting Kaoru down to a back room.

So much for avoiding touch subjects.

"Shouldn't you be out front with your customers?" Kaoru asked, looking behind her at the passageway leading to the front.

"It's not a very busy business day, and Tsubame is quite capable of handling the few regular customers we have today. Quit changing the subject – what's this man like? Megumi tells me he's very handsome, although rather short."

"Well…" Kaoru knew she couldn't get out of it now. "He is very handsome, and he's only an inch or so taller than me."

"And?"

"He has thick red hair held in a high ponytail, and…" Kaoru paused. What color were his eyes? She remembered them being a sort of amber color…but later, she noticed that they were a light, calm blue when he spoke to her gently. She cleared her throat. "And his eyes are blue."

Tae blinked at her, clearly not satisfied.

"He's pretty muscular, but he's thin. And…that's what he looks like," she finished lamely.

The woman sighed and asked impatiently, "Well, what's his personality like?"

Kaoru groaned at the older woman's doggedness. "The first time I met him – the first time he woke up, I mean - he was rough and cruel. He grabbed me and his grip was like steel." She held out her wrist, where the ugly bruise had faded but was still very obvious on her pale skin.

Tae gasped. "Kaoru! Are you sure he's not dangerous? You should throw him out of your house!"

"No…the thing is, afterwards, he became a lot calmer, and more polite. He's been helping me cook, and he's been a great help. He's been nothing but civility, except for that one time." Somehow, she didn't want to think of Kenshin as being a dangerous criminal, or wanting to harm her, seemed completely wrong. _He isn't like that, _she thought. _Kenshin wouldn't hurt me._

"Kaoru, look at me." She looked into Tae's worried brown eyes. "Answer this as honestly as you can for me."

"Can you trust this man?" Her friend's words stung her and made a flood of questions fill her mind. Could she trust him?

**_Kaoru watched Kenshin's face as he struggled to come up with an answer. His brow furrowed and he studied her eyes at the same time. _**

_**His eyes were what did it.**_

_He doesn't trust me…so I can't trust him. I can't trust him. How much do you really know about him, anyway? Who is he? What is he?_ Kaoru's heart ached. _I can't trust him._

"No." Kaoru's voice was clear, although inside she was anything but. "I can't trust him." She saw Tae's face relax, and the other woman reached out and held her tense hand.

"Alright, Kaoru. You're a grown woman, and I trust you to make the right decision. Just – don't make a decision that you're not sure about. You don't know what this man is capable of, and the way he acted when you got that," she gestured at Kaoru's angry bruise, "but you know that the way he acted then is a part of him, and that it always will be. You'll never know when that part will come out."

"All right," she replied quietly, absorbing the advice that she knew would help her later on. "I think I must be going now. Thank you for your advice."

Tae sighed. "Good-bye, Kaoru-chan. Just – be careful."

Kaoru laughed bitterly to herself. _That's what everyone's been telling me lately. _"Okay, Tae-san. Good-bye." She exited the Akabeko with her spirits not lifted but lowered even more.

_She's right. _Kaoru thought. _I can't believe anything he tells me, because I don't know anything about him. _Her brows knitted in agitation. _But…I want to believe him! I can't believe that he'd try to harm me, even if he doesn't trust me._

_Well, I'll just let what happens happen until I need to make my decision…_she sighed and began to walk faster as the skies darkened.

* * *

"Kenshin?" Kaoru asked the silence. "Are you there?" She stared at the silent dojo for a moment longer, than shrugged. _I guess he's resting some more._

She plucked at her kimono and sighed. "Guess I have to change again-" then she paused.

She sensed a very faint battle ki. One moment it was there, whispering in the air to her, and the next moment it was gone, as fleeting as the wind. She frowned. Her skill at reading ki was lacking, and she had no way of knowing if it was someone just walking by the dojo or just her mind. _Still, there are people who can mask their ki…_Kaoru shrugged it off.

But she could not shrug off the chill running down her spine, nor the sense of impending disaster.

* * *

Kenshin lay in bed, eyes closed and hand rubbing his side where the bandages masked his gaping wound. _How long will I be like this? How long will I have to stay here?_

Suddenly Kaoru's face flashed in his mind, and he winced. He couldn't shake the guilt that had marred him since he had since that look on her face, that disappointment in her eyes as she understood. But he couldn't –

_What?!_

Kenshin's eyes shot open in shock. But – it couldn't –

He had sensed a _ki. _One full of war and bloodlust. It was slightly hidden, as though it had been masked, but Kenshin, as experienced as he was, could feel it as if it was punching him in the arm.

_Oh shit. _Could it be the Shinsengumi? Their information networks were unrivaled. They could easily have found out that a young woman had allowed a red haired, scarred swordsman into her dojo. But if that was the case…

_Kaoru-dono!_ The Shinsengumi were ruthless swordsman who left no one alive at the scene of the massacre. And with her mild training, there was no way Kaoru would be allowed to live in case she could recognize the sword style. She would be left dead, and Kenshin with her.

"Kaoru-dono!"

**

* * *

A/N – Ooooh, cliff hanger. I'll leave you here – I'm feeling better about this chapter. Personally, I'm proud of it. And I've begun to remember my original plot idea and edit it, so that's got me in a good mood…Advice welcome, so please leave some.**


	8. Chapter Eight AN

**Dear readers:**

I'm sorry that I haven't updated in such a long time, and even sorrier to have to tell you that I won't be for quite a while. I'm graduating eighth grade, and with volleyball, student council, music and speech writing, I don't have enough time to even brainstorm about these stories. I simply do not have enough time to give you a good, well-thought out update, and I'm not willing to compromise my standards so that these stories will be out sooner.

Don't worry, I'm not quitting. But I've lost interest in Rurouni Kenshin, InuYasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, and basically all anime, so don't expect me to update in the next month, or the next. I've got a life, and I've begun to find that living it is a far cry better than sitting in here, holed up with my dad's Dell.

Here are the reviewer responses I was going to post. I hope the next chapter to Shaded Paths will soon follow.

**Kenshinlover2002**: Glad you like it! I think I was pretty realistic about Kaoru's abilities in this chapter, so I hope you like it. I agree: Kaoru kicks butt. I mean, she's damn good. People just don't realize it when she's standing next to Kenshin, a.k.a. Mr. The-Best-Swordsman-Ever, or Saito, Mr. The-Best-Swordsman-Ever-But-He's-Evil-So-He-Doesn't-Count. Pssh. We scorn them -.- Well, not Kenshin, 'cause he's cute. Nor Saito, 'cause he's the best villian ever. But that's not the point. :)

**Jisusaken:** Thankee for the support! You make me feel loved.

**Brittanie Love:** Yep, cliffhangers are evil. When I'm all into a story, and all of a sudden they leave me HANGING there, I'm all 'WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ALL ABOUT?' I mean, they're great from the writer's view, but for the reader, they are EVIL. EEEVIL. But then I'm not that great myself XD.

**Nanakiyoda: **Don't die on me! Thank you for reading this most unworthy fic. I love you people.

**Triste1:** Yeah, I'm proud of that chapter, although rereading it I realized that I made a lot of mistakes…thank you SO much for making me realize from the beginning that there are other things important in a story than plot and characters. No one wants to read a story that looks like it's by a third grader. T'anks! Oh, and about Tomoe - if you watched the OVA's, she is really easy to hate. And she's ugly as a toad. But after I read the part of Jinchuu where she snapped Kenshin out of his self-loathing spell and told him to go and get Kaoru, well…I couldn't hate her. Besides, I wanna make him love Tomoe a lot, so that when he loves Kaoru, it'll mean a lot more because he'll overcome his love for Tomoe – and be fully devoted to KAORU, who is of course the best.

**Phi-dono**: Ohh, the notorious sugar high. They're fun while they last, ne? I'm glad people like this fic…even though it's a lot worse than many out there. (Have you ever read anything by linay? Broken Pieces is the BEST. And her ending is perfect.) I don't know about the fluff…I mean, I'm planning on making this a pretty damn long story if I have the perseverance...so I'll have time. I need to start making longer chapters.

**Scythe195: T**hanks! (I'm obsessed with, y'know, showing my emotions. An' all that.)

**Haein:** Thank you for taking the time to read BOTH my storys! It makes doing all this worthwhile. I thought it might work with the POV thing since they're the two main characters and you can't really 'get' the story with only one POV, ne? Glad I have you on my great and powerful...thingy. Muahahhaah!

**kuikkick007:** Touche. Thanks for reading my stories…I'll never get tired of having other people read (Okay, that made no sense…). Glad you like both of 'em, though, and I s'pose you're right. I mean, we LIKE those other stories fine…but highschool AU's? They're the crème de la crème. Hahah.

**Saitouu Ryuuji**: Thanks for the review, and I'm sorry it took so long to reply to the review and review your story. Saitou's cool, and we all know it…by the way, what I meant by 'Besides, it's not the best example of writing to put japanese and english when it's not a proper noun' Was that (in my opinion) one should write wholly in one language or the other. If it's a word that is known only by its Japanese name, like 'Kenshin', I don't think you need to bother with translating it into 'Heart of Sword', but if it's 'arigatou', you might as well say 'thank you.' Erm…the way I said it could've been stated better. Sorry if I confused you.

**WolfDaughter**: Ohh, you should be...insert evil cackle here, here and _here._ And I hope this satisfies you!


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